Fan Activism

“Dark times lie ahead of us and there will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is right.” ~ Albus Dumbledore It’s no secret that fandom has always been a site of political resistance. Fan activism is a natural byproduct of fandom, whether it is writing “genderfuck” fanfiction, organizing letter-writing campaigns to save a show from cancellation, or creating fan activist organizations. However, at a point in history when fan communities are moving from more //

“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, the most inexhaustible form of magic we have, capable both of inflicting injury and remedying it.” ~ Albus Dumbledore Fans are no doubt aware that online fanfics and the communities in which they circulate house rich critiques about gender, sexuality, race and identity. In fact, many fan writers deliberately insert feminist discourse, gender theory, and class commentary into their stories to make complex academic theories accessible for all readers. //

Fanfiction is political, subversive, radical. Writing Harry Potter as a girl, Hermione as black, or Ron as transgender exposes people to narratives written from the perspective of marginalized communities. But is writing fanfiction a type of activism? Fan activism refers to how participation in fandom develops into involvement in fan-led political activities. In a 2012 article entitled “‘Cultural Acupuncture:’ Fan Activism and the Harry Potter Alliance,” scholar Henry Jenkins defines //

It doesn’t matter which genre is your favorite, or which fandom you call home—we’ve all felt the sting of a treasured show getting canceled prematurely. Thanks to reported ratings, a fan community can usually tell when a show is in its final moments. But sometimes a series that otherwise seems original, well-executed, and superbly written, can be canned before it has had a chance to find stable footing. What is a fan to do, then, when their favorite show comes to an abrupt close, leaving //

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FAN/FIC is an online magazine for fanfic readers and writers. We publish compelling articles and personal essays about fan culture, practical advice on how to improve your craft, and interviews with people in the community.